The Chanler at Cliff Walk, a boutique luxury hotel in Newport, R.I., lost at least $100,000 because of Irene.
"As a small business, that is a big hit to take in August, as the summer is coming to a close," said Christine Sullivan, the general manager of the 20-room hotel, which averages about $1,000 a night.
The hotel, which includes a fine dining restaurant, makes the majority of its income during the summer months. "We won't be able to make it up by the end of the year," said Sullivan. "We are going to have to take that on the chin."
Hotel guests began canceling their rooms on Thursday, said Sullivan, and for Saturday night, the hotel only had four rooms filled. Typically, Sullivan would expect to be sold out on weekend nights. The hurricane deterred travelers in August, when the room rates are highest, which meant that the cancellations were "pretty catastrophic for us."
On Sunday night, The Chanler had only two rooms filled and the power was out. One of the two couples had been married that Saturday at the hotel. They were forced to stay, because their flight to Italy for their honeymoon was delayed.
Once it got dark, the guests and the staff watched the storm together out of the hotel's large windows. The new bride and groom put their wedding outfits back on for a Sunday evening candlelight dinner, which the chef prepared on the butane burner reserved for flambé.
"Despite the financial implications, it was a special weekend," said Sullivan.
Be polite and professional when giving an employee the boot. And if the person getting fired starts to lose it, duck.
